Improvement in postage-stamps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BOWLSBY, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN POSTAGE-STAMPS, 80C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 51,782, dated December 26, 1865.

' when the stamp is attached to the letter or other inailable matterit will leave the remaining part, which is not made adhesive, projectin g-that is, not adhering to the letter.

ltalso consists in the tearing,` off of the projecting part of the stamp by the postmaster before the letter is put into the mail, and so totally destroying the stamp past all further recovery and use.

To enable others to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

I apply the adhesive substance to the upper half ofthe back of the stamp only, leaving the lower half of the back of the stamp bare, so that it will not adhere when wetted and applied to the letter or other mailmatter on which it is placed. The object of this is to leave the upper half of the stamp remaining on the letter after the lower haltl of the stamp is torn o' by the postmaster, instead of defacing,` the stamp with ink, as is now practiced.

In the accompanying drawings the saine letters of reference indicate like parts.

.A B, Fig. 1, is the stamp. A is the upper half adhering to the letter. B is the lower half, to be torn off by the postmaster. O is the line of pertorations across the middle of the stamp in the line of separation, to complete the tearing;` in a neat manner.

In Fig'. 2, A is the fragment of the stamp relnaining` on the letter and adhering' to it when it enters the mail, the lower half having been torn ot't' by the postmaster.

The object ot' this invention is to totally destroy the stamp, so that it cannot be washed or otherwise cleaned and reused, als is now much done.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The destruction of the postage-stamp by tearing off a portion of it by the postmaster before it enters the mail.

2. The preparation ot' the stamp in the manner substantially as described, so that this may be done.

GEORGE W. BOWLSBY.

Witnesses:

W. H. BEEMAN, C. V. GooK. 

